Tag Archives: activism

Tribute to parents of activists

By admin | January 1, 2017

Published by Bulatlat The untold first mission of many activists does not involve the smashing of the bourgeois state or the ‘bombarding of the headquarters’ of the repressive government; their first instinct is to go home and confess their political conversion to their parents or guardians. It is a delicate and difficult duty. Delicate because […]

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Live the good life, serve the people, and embrace activism

By admin | December 15, 2016

Published by Bulatlat There are competing conceptions of the good life, but mainstream institutions bombard us with the dangerous ideology that the only way to achieve happiness and success is to acquire material possessions or gain fame in society. In schools and workplaces, we are told to get ahead of others or else we become […]

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OMG I Married an Activist

By admin | October 10, 2016

Published by Manila Today What the title really means is “Oh my Gabriela I married an activist.” No, I didn’t marry a person named Gabriela but my wife is a member of the Gabriela women’s group. To my non-Filipino friends, Gabriela is an activist group known for its uncompromising, über defense of women’s rights. Its […]

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There’s more to life than single issue activism

By admin | September 17, 2016

Published by Bulatlat In the hierarchy of political evils, single issue activism does not figure, and rightfully so. There’s less barbarism in the world because of the heroic work of individuals who never gave up fighting for their chosen advocacy in life. But we cannot deny the rise of a particular brand of activism that […]

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From Mamasapano to Lumad: 15 People’s Issues in 2015

By admin | September 13, 2016

Published by Manila Today How should we remember the year 2015? The year started on an exhilarating occasion when Pope Francis arrived and uplifted the spirits of many Filipinos and it will end as we celebrate our victory in the Miss Universe pageant. In between these memorable moments, there were numerous events that captured our […]

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Political opportunism and the specter of the yellow Left

By admin | September 5, 2016

Published by Bulatlat It is public knowledge that the Left became a divided movement in the early 1990s. Most remained as national democrats while the rest splintered into various factions. Those who refused to reaffirm the Natdem principles became vociferous critics of the tactics and methods of what they refer to as the Stalinist wing […]

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How radicalism can change you or why activism is the ultimate life hack

By admin | August 27, 2016

Published by Bulatlat Excuse the dramatic appeal of the headline but I feel it’s necessary to emphasize the life-changing impact of the decision to become an activist. It’s also to quickly refute what activism is not: a deviant behavior that requires a corrective action, a dangerous addiction, a temporary lapse in judgment, a rebellious tendency […]

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Here’s how to tell if your friend is misinformed about activism

By admin | July 20, 2016

Written for Bulatlat Respect for diverse beliefs is one of the prescriptions of political correctness so therefore your decision to become an activist should no longer provoke scandalous reactions. But the menacing tentacles of Red Scare and Philippine-style McCarthyism continue to wield considerable influence in our social institutions. The result is that your activism is […]

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How to deal with a millennial moderate Leftist

By admin | June 5, 2016

Written for Bulatlat There is a regular gathering of anti-Marcos activists which briefly unites various shades of the Left. This was impossible to organize in the mid-1990s during the ‘great split’ within the Philippine Left, but today it happens several times a year. Perhaps the passing of time inspired these fierce ideological rivals to set […]

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The old and the young in the Philippine revolution

By admin | May 4, 2016

Written for Bulatlat News about the 47th anniversary of the Communist Party highlighted the group’s statement about the growing strength of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Mindanao on one hand and Malacanang’s dismissal of the claim on the other. This is newsworthy but not really new. Supporters and critics of the armed Left can […]

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